Who Should I Start? Chuba Hubbard or Rico Dowdle


Week 2 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
13.2 59.7 0.4 2.4 16.0 0.1

Chuba Hubbard News

Chuba Hubbard the Undisputed Top Running Back in Carolina

Wednesday, September 16, 6:41 AM

Carolina Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard proved that he was the primary option out of the backfield during the team's Week 1 loss against the Chicago Bears. Hubbard played 71% of the offensive snaps with 49 rushing yards, 38 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. For comparison, teammate Jonathon Brooks played just 19% of the snaps, had five touches, and averaged 3.5 yards per carry. All offseason long, there was plenty of chatter that Brooks might overtake Hubbard in the backfield. That could still happen at some point late this season or next season, but the comparison of their volume and production from Week 1 shows that the Panthers should still have confidence in Hubbard as their primary running back. He is expected to have another solid showing in Week 2 against the Atlanta Falcons, who just surrendered 46 rushing yards and 27 receiving yards to Jaylen Warren.


Week 2 Projections

Fant.
Pts.
Rush.
Yds.
Rush
TD
Rec. Rec.
Yds.
Rec
TD
10.7 48.0 0.3 2.1 14.3 0.1

Rico Dowdle News

Rico Dowdle No Longer a Viable Fantasy Starter

Friday, September 18, 6:20 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Rico Dowdle remains on the fantasy radar, but only as a player to stash on the bench in most leagues. His fantasy stock has fallen significantly since last season with the Panthers, when he ranked as the overall RB18 in PPR with seven touchdowns and over 1,000 rushing yards. Fast forward to Week 1 of the 2026 campaign, and Dowdle was held in check with just eight carries, 15 rushing yards, and two catches. He actually played more snaps than Jaylen Warren, but was drastically out-produced by the 27-year-old. It's too early to drop him in leagues with 10+ teams, especially since we know that he can be a fantasy RB2 if Warren were to miss time. For now, though, he should be benched in fantasy football until he proves that he can maintain any sort of standalone value.


Chuba Hubbard vs. Rico Dowdle

Still trying to decide between Hubbard and Dowdle? Check on the latest news to make sure both players are active and healthy. Our PPR projections show that Chuba Hubbard is projected to score 13.2 points this week while Rico Dowdle is projected to score 10.7 points.